


Anyone Can Be a Hero!

by MagicMarshHarrier



Category: Ratatouille (2007), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: A few people do Skinner things, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead is Anton Ego, Awkward Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki is Skinner, Gen, Midoriya Izuku Has One for All Quirk, Midoriya Izuku is Alfredo Linguini, Monoma Neito is Skinner, Protective Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Protective Class 1-A, Protective Remy (Ratatoulli), Protective Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Remy has a strong danger sense, Shigaraki Tomura is Skinner, Yagi Toshinori | All Might is Auguste Gusteau, sort of like spidey senses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:21:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28659414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicMarshHarrier/pseuds/MagicMarshHarrier
Summary: A rat named Remy dreams of being a great hero despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat.A boy named Izuku dreams of being a great hero despite the opposition from his peers and his lack of quirk.A hero named All Might is searching for a suitable successor while dealing with a short time limit for hero work.Remy finds himself in Musutafu. He makes an unlikely friendship with an awkward boy who has similar dreams of heroism. The boy and rat have a long ways to go before they can be heroes, but with each other and the help of the Number One Hero, their dreams may be attainable.Will the two unlikeliest of heroes be able to overcome all opposition in order to fulfill their dream?
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Remy (Ratatoulli), Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Izuku & Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku & Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Remy (Ratatouille) & Django (Ratatouille), Remy (Ratatoulli) & All Might, Remy (Ratatoulli) & Emile (Ratatoulli)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 28





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy!!!! This idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while, and I finally decided to work on it.

An old television showed an image of the planet. 

“Although each of the world’s countries would like to dispute this fact, we Japanese know the truth;” a voice narrated while the image of the world zoomed in on Japan, “the best heroes in the world are made in Japan.” 

The image shifted to a picture of UA. “The best heroes in Japan, some say, are taught at Yuuei High School.”

The screen showed a picture of the Number One Hero— All Might. “UA is renowned for producing accomplished heroes such as All Might, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist. All Might’s well-known catchphrase, ‘I am here!’, brings hope to all who hear it. His heroic-“

The T.V. Abruptly turned off. A crusty man growled, “Stupid All Might. Always giving people false hope. I can’t wait until Sensei finally let’s me kill him.”

“Have patience, young Tomura,” a voice came through the T.V. “Your moment is near. Soon, the Nomu will be complete, and you will defeat my enemy. You must first gather followers to do our bidding. Then, you will tear the hero system apart by the seams.”

The crusty man’s evil laughter echoed through the bar.


	2. A Rat’s Life

Rain gently drizzled on a small cottage. Leaves danced in the wind. The scene was peaceful and relaxing.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by gunshots echoing through the cottage.

A scrawny rat crashes through a window. Time freezes around the rodent.

‘This is me. I think it’s apparent I need to rethink my life a little bit.’ a voice narrates. ‘What’s my problem? First of all—‘

Time rewinds and resumes. A fearsome looking rat with glowing red eyes scurries about.

‘—I’m a rat. Which means life is hard,’ the voice continued.

Dozens of rats scurry from their hiding places and rush towards a pile of compost. The rats dig through the garbage, collecting old bits of food. One grey rat drearily sorts through the food. 

‘And secondly— I have highly developed reflexes and a sense for danger.’

A piles of mushy peas toppled after a pudgy brown rat grabs a chunk of bread from underneath it. The grey rat is a blur as he avoids getting hit by the falling legumes.

The brown rat gasps, “Wow, Remy! You could dodge all that? You have a gift!”

‘This is Emile. My brother. He’s easily impressed,’ the voice of Remy said.

“So you dodged a bunch of peas. So what? They weren’t going to cause you any harm.” An old rat poked through the compost pile.

‘This is my dad,’ said Remy. ‘He’s never impressed. He’s also the leader of our clan.’

Remy was suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding. Something about the piece of cheese Django was sniffing was off.

‘So what’s wrong with having a danger sense?’

Remy’s father reached for the cheese.

“Woah woah woah! DON’T TOUCH THAT!” the rat warned his father.

Just as Django touched the cheese, Remy pushed him out of the way. A mousetrap snapped shut.

‘Turns out that cheese was bait for a mousetrap. Suddenly Dad didn’t think my talent was useless. I was feeling pretty good about my gift. Until Dad gave me a job.’

The small grey rat was called over by another group of rodents.

“Remy, is this cracker safe to grab?” asked one.

Remy sighed and nodded his head.

‘That’s right. I was the  _Danger Checker_.’

Remy continued his monotonous job.

Later that day, Remy and Django stood on a beat-up chair, overlooking the rat clan.

‘Well, it made my dad proud.’

“Now don’t you feel better, Remy? You’ve helped a noble cause,” Django told his son.

“Noble? We’re thieves, Dad. And what we’re stealing is— let’s face it, garbage.” Remy was filled with guilt over his colony’s deeds. This was not something All Might would do.

“It isn’t stealing if no one wants it,” the older rat corrected.

“If no one wants it, why are we stealing it?”

The son and father continued to quarrel.

‘Let’s just say we have different points of view.’

Remy, Django, and Emile sat together around a pile of garbage. Django and Emile happily consumed the junk, but Remy was still filled with guilt over the thievery.

Remy pushed away the rotten food.

“Food is fuel. You get picky about what you put in the tank, your engine is gonna die. Now shut up and eat your garbage,” ordered Django.

Remy sighed, “ If we’re going to steal, why don’t we steal from the kitchen? Where nothing is poisoned or a trap.”

“First of all, we are NOT thieves. Secondly, stay out of the kitchen and away from humans. It’s dangerous,” Remy’s father warned.

Late that night, Remy stared at the farmhouse, drawn to the light and sounds emanating from inside.

‘I know I’m supposed to hate humans. But there’s something about them...’ 

Remy carefully crept into the cottage.

‘They don’t just survive. They help one another, they make an impact, they change the world. Just look at what All Might has done.’

All Might’s voice comes through the old human’s television. “Heroics is about much more than fighting villains. Just look at my own debut. I didn’t fight a powerful villain. I instead saved hundreds of people from a natural disaster. The true essence of being a hero is helping others. That is why I am a hero. Nothing brings me more joy than bringing peace and safety to the people I save.”

Remy thought back to his attitude towards protecting his clan. It might not be the most glamorous or honest work, but Remy is helping his colony survive and prosper. Remy promised to himself that he would try his best to smile as he helped his fellow rats despite his dislike towards his job. 

_ I may be small, but I’m going to make a difference _ , thought Remy.  _ It doesn’t matter if I only save a few rodents or if I save hundreds of humans— I am going to be a hero. _


	3. Dangerous Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, we were introduced to Remy. Remy decided to be a hero.

‘Now I had a secret life. I was training to be a hero. The only one who knew about it was Emile,’ narrated Remy.

Emile sat atop a garbage can, rummaging through the trash.

Remy calls to his brother from the grass below, “Emile! Psst- hey, Emile!”

Emile looked up from the trash can.

“Look! I found a sewing needle! Now I can start weapon training! Come on, you’re good at hiding food, help me find a place to put this!” said Remy.

Emile dragged a large (in comparison to a rat) bag behind himself as he led Remy to one of his hiding places. Remy walked upright on his back legs, carefully holding his needle.

‘He doesn’t understand me, but I can be myself around him...’

“Why are you walking like that?” asked Emile.

“There’s so many benefits of standing tall! I’m able to see my surroundings better, and if someone comes out to attack us, I can just...” Remy stabbed his imaginary opponent with his needle.

“Well, okay. But if Dad sees you walking like that... he’s not gonna like it,” warned Emile.

The pair walked in silence for a few moments.

Remy glanced at the large bag Emile was dragging. “What have you got there?”

Emile opened up his sack. “Some cheese, some sort of nut, and—“

“That nut’s shell! That would make the perfect helmet! Do you mind if I...?”

Emile nodded, and Remy carefully cracked open the nut against a rock. He balanced half the nutshell on his head.

“This is perfect! I can make armor! Oh, and maybe a shield as well! And I know just where to find the materials to make these!”

Emile groaned. “Why do I get the feeling it’s—“

“—in the house!” The two rats spoke simultaneously, Remy with excitement and Emile with worry.

A few minutes later, Remy was rifling through the drawers of the cottage, pulling out various odds and ends. As rain poured outside, Emile nervously glanced at the old lady, sleeping soundly in front of the TV.

“Not good. Don’t like it. She’s gonna wake up,” Emile fretted.

“I’ve been down here a million times. She turns on the news channel— boom. Never wakes up,” Remy assured his brother.

“You been here a million times?!?!?!” squeaked Emile.

“I’m telling ya it’ll be alright. Now, where did I set my needle? A good offense is important; All Might swears by it.”

“Okay, who’s All Might?”

Remy pushed a well-worn copy of the bestselling book “Top Heroesof the Century” to Emile. On the book’s cover, a picture of All Might smiled fearlessly at them.

“Wait— you... read?” Emile asked with wide eyes.

“Well, not... excessively,” replied Remy.

“Oh, man. Does Dad know?”

“You could fill a book— a LOT of books— with things Dad doesn’t know. And they have. Which is why I read. Which is also our secret.” Remy resumed rummaging through drawers.

“I don’t like secrets,” stated Emile. “All this training and reading and TV watching. It’s like you’re involving me in crime. And I let you. Why do I let you?”

Meanwhile, rats streamed into the attic from a crack in the wall, throwing food collected from the compost pile into a heap. Django sat in the center, overseeing thing. The older rat looked around, distracted.

“What’s taking those kids so long?” Django wondered, concerned for his sons.

Remy eventually found his needle and lifted it up. “Ah, there you are.”

Something on the TV attracted Remy’s attention. The great hero All Might was being interviewed!

“Hey! That’s All Might! Emile, look!”

“Heroics is not for the faint of heart. You must be brave, strong-hearted, you must be willing to help others no matter what. And you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true, anyone can be a hero... but only the kindhearted can be great.”

All Might’s words resonated inside Remy. The rat grinned and nodded in agreement with All Might.

Suddenly, the TV snapped off. Remy and Emile whirled around to discover that the old lady was awake and wielding a shotgun.

“RUN!!” Remy shouted.

The brothers scattered. Emile panicked and begun racing towards the attic.

“NO! You’ll lead her to the colony!” Remy frantically told Emile.

The woman blasted a hole in the ceiling with her shotgun. Emile dodges by leaping and barely catching a chandelier in his paws.

The old lady leveled the gun barrel at the helplessly dangling Emile.

Remy hid his eyes. Emile braced for his inevitable demise. The human pulled the shotgun’s trigger.

_Click_.

The shotgun was empty! 

“What?” grumbled the woman.

“Huh? I’m not dead?” Emile reacted.

Remy looked up . “Emile is still alive?”

The old lady cursed and ejected the empty shells.

Emile begun scrambling to pull himself onto the light. The lady started searching for more bullets. Remy saw an opening, dropped his needle on the book, and took off to help Emile.

Rifling through desk drawers, the old lady spied Remy coming out of hiding to help Emile. She redoubled her efforts to find a box of bullets.

Emile struggled onto the precarious light fixture. “Help! Remy! Help!”

“Emile, start swinging the light! I’ll try to grab you!”

The human heard Remy’s squeaks to Emile, and yanked open another desk drawer.

Remy arrived at the light fixture, and reached out to Emile. “Emile! Swing to me!”

Finding nothing in the desk, the old lady looked up to see the two rats struggling. She rushed over to the cabinets and begun searching through them. When the lady finally found a box of bullets, she accidentally spilled them all over the floor. 

Remy grabbed onto Emile’s paw and strained to lift him.

The old lady dropped to her knees, picked up a bullet, loaded it into her gun, stood back up, and swung the shotgun around.

The two rats scrambled into the new blast hole at the base of the hanging fixture. It exploded into buckshot!

Silence filled the house for a moment, then...

_Crack_!

A large fissure snaked across the ceiling, connecting a circle of shotgun holes. A huge chunk of ceiling went crashing down, bringing with it the attic floor and the entire rat clan.

The old lady freaked out and ran from the room.

“EVACUATE! Everyone to the boats!” Django ordered the panicking rodents.

The boats were created due to Remy’s paranoia. It had taken quite a while for him to convince his father to set up escape routes, and his father eventually agreed. The rat colony had laughed about the boats before, but they were not laughing now. Rats scurried about, grabbing various belongings and loading them onto the boats. 

Remy turned around and ran back into the cottage.

“I left my needle!” he exclaimed.

He pushed past the wave of rats and grabbed his needle and the thick hero book it rested on.

Outside, Django was urging rats onto the boats. “GO GO GO! MOVE MOVE MOVE!”

Remy struggled with the thick copy of “Top Heroes of the Century.” 

A strange breathing sound caused Remy to look up. The old lady was wearing an old style gas mask and was carrying a large canister. The old lady went after Remy, spraying gas everywhere.

Remy held his breath. He placed the needle in his mouth, hoisted the book over his head, and took a running leap towards the kitchen window. He crashed through the window and ran towards the boats.

“Wait! Wait for me!” Remy called out to the departing boats. 

Rain poured down onto the boats.

“Everybody here? We have everybody? Wait a minute— where’s Remy?” asked Django.

At the shore, Remy tossed the book into the water and began paddling towards his father’s boat, which was about to enter a drainpipe.

“Right here! I’m coming! I’m coming!” he called out to his father.

“Hold on, son!” Django turned to the other rats. “Give him something to grab on to!”

A muscular rat held out a spatula to Remy.

Remy reached for the spatula, desperately paddling with his other paw.

“Paddle, son! Come on, reach for it! You can do it!” Django encouraged.

Remy had almost reached the spatula when— _Blam_!  A blast hit the water, sending Remy flying backwards and off the hero book. The old lady had taken position at a footbridge. She fired at Django’s boat, but missed as the boat entered the tunnel.

“Remy!” Django cried out.

“Dad!” Remy called back.

“Come on, you can make it! You can make it!”

Remy climbed back onto the book and paddled into the drainpipe before the woman could shoot him. The old lady cursed.

In the drainpipe, Remy panicked as he lost sight of Django’s boat in the dark.

“Guys, wait! Stop! Hold up! Wait for me! Hold UP!” Remy yelled.

Frightened shouts echoed in the silence.

“DAD?? Dad?” Remy received no response.

The young rat strained to see in the darkness. He began to make out shapes, the channel forked into two tunnels.

“Which way...?”

Remy paddled towards the right tunnel, changed his mind, and veered to the left. He continued paddling, picking up speed.

A low rumble caught Remy’s attention. He looked around, alert. The rumble transformed into a loud roar. He was headed straight for a waterfall!

Remy whirled around and tried to paddle the opposite direction, but it was too late. Remy clutched his needle as he and the hero book were sent tumbling over the edge and into the rapids below.

Remy was tossed about like a rag doll, buffeted in every direction by the churning water. 

He struggled for air. Finally, he broke the surface of the water and gulped a big breath of air, only to be plunged back under. The walls of the tunnel blurred past him as he clawed his way to the surface. Through the tumult he spied his chance up ahead, the book! He swam towards the bestseller and pulled himself aboard.

The rapids passed, and the waters became calm.

Remy looked back, amazed that he survived, before collapsing from exhaustion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we will finally meet Midoriya.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates may be slow while I work on my other fic.


End file.
